The Impact of the National Park Pilot Policy on Carbon Emissions: Evidence from China

Abstract

Promoting synergies between ecological conservation and low-carbon development is an important pathway toward sustainable development. As a major institutional initiative for natural ecological conservation in China, the National Park (NP) pilot policy may affect regional carbon emissions by improving ecological spatial governance and resource utilization. This study uses balanced panel data for 2749 Chinese counties from 2014 to 2024 and applies the Callaway and Sant’Anna difference-in-differences estimator for multiple time periods (CSDID) to examine the impact of the NP pilot policy on carbon emissions. The results show that, first, the NP pilot policy significantly reduces county-level carbon emissions. Second, the mechanism analysis suggests that the policy may reduce carbon emissions through industrial structure upgrading and lower energy consumption. Third, the heterogeneity analysis shows statistically significant carbon-reduction effects in economically better-off counties and counties located in key cities for environmental protection. Fourth, the spatial spillover analysis demonstrates that the policy not only reduces carbon emissions within the pilot regions but also generates significant carbon-reduction effects in neighboring areas. This study clarifies how China’s NP pilot policy may support local low-carbon transitions and provides evidence on the synergy between ecological conservation and climate governance.